One of the great joys of writing this column is interacting with our readers. Whether it be on the street or via email, people are searching for answers to satisfy their curiosity or help them understand what they are drinking. Thank you. Here are some of the recent questions we have received:

Q. I keep hearing about the impact of climate change on vineyards. What is the latest?

A. The Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences recently addressed the effect of global warming on grape growing regions. Like other fruits, grapes are susceptible to climate whether it be rainfall or temperature. Researchers are saying current wine producing regions could lose 20-70 percent of their property by 2050 because it is no longer suitable for good grapes. Maybe you won’t be around by then, but a lot of other people will be.

Regions like Champagne – challenged by cold weather now – could find themselves making great pinot noir, for instance. But places like Bordeaux could suddenly find the climate too hot to keep up the quality of their wine. Provence could become the premier wine growing region in France.

Researchers are predicting that prices will rise as quantity declines.

Perhaps new grape varieties will emerge that can resist heat, but if the warming trend continues, the wine industry will change. We’ve already seen, for instance, the impact of warmer weather in California. Grapes have more sugar, hence more alcohol. Pinot noirs are doing remarkably well in Oregon where temperatures are cooler.

Q. Where can I find the best deals in wine nowadays?

A. That depends on how you define “deal.” The Wine Spectator recently published an article that touted wines under $25 as great values. They searched California for wines that generally hovered around $15.

The price of land in California is so high that it is hard to find wines costing less than $10 a bottle. But over the years we have found that price point is the objective of a lot of wine consumers. Inflation has taken a whack at wine and you have to figure that every year you need to move up your price point another buck or two. If you don’t, you move down your quality level a notch or two.

The West Coast is not likely to give you the variety of wines you seek at this price range. Look to Italy, Spain and Australia for the best values. Land is cheaper in these regions and quantity is high. You may not get a lot of complexity, but you can find satisfying wines under $15.